The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-12-27
OLD VIRGINIA DAYS.
GEN. STONEwALL JACKSON'S ONE
RECORDED SPEECH
What Turned the Unionist Sentiment
in the Old Dominion Into One of Sc


III CnS Ola DOMINION inGO one OF Sc
cession-John Browns Dav.
From the Philadelphia Times
The incident here recorded occurred in the
early spring of 1851 only few days before
the State Of Virginia passed the ordinance
of secession. As soon as the sentence of
death had been pronounced on John Brown
the Governor of Virginia ordered TIE militia
of the State, to the number of about l,400
men, to report at Charlestown, then in Nir-
ginia. This measure was dictated by rumors
of an intended attempt TO interrupt, by an
armed attack, the progress of the execution,
Among the military organizations ordered
out were the cadets of the Military Institute
at Lexington. They left the institute under
the immediate command of Col Smith, the
Superintendent, the section of artillery
which they took with them being under the
charge of Maj. jackson, who was then pro-
lessor o. physical science at the institute
After the execution had taken place there
was universal sense OF uneaSinesS through
out the State, and nowhere more so tn II at
Lexington. The arsenal near that town,
which ha'! been maintained before the
establishment OF the institute and the old
guard OF which had been substituted by the
CdAltlc, COulullitNl dDOub cO,OUU SUtiliU VI
arms, while the adjacent magazine held 500
| barrels of powder. Rumors were rife that
an attempt would be made to seize the
arsenal and magazine by the sympathizers
of the john Brown raid. and Gov. Wise
directed that redoubied vigilance should be
exercised in guarding the public property.
Sentiuels were doubled and Pc ols secured
the neighboring country. The excitement
of the young solder guard was aggravated
htr rho Of fhap n
nous warning that the magazine would be
attacked at such day and hour. These
alarms and the precautions to which they
gave rise necessitaJed the issue to the cadets
of a full supply of ball-cartridges, and
they were directed to be p. epared at the
first tap of the drum to assemble with their
arms.
THE PECULIARITIEs OF MAI. JACKSON.
Mai jackson was as indifferent a teacher
as one would easily find. He had won for
himself reputation in the Mexican war.
A thorough soldier conscientious, pains
taking, entirely wanting in adaptability
and savoir faire, he had as little in common
with the scholarly academician as Gustavus
Adolphus with Erasmus. The light blue
eye which could blaze with the intensest
fame in battle, exhibited none of the kind
ling which belongs to the teacher who loves
his vocation. He was awkward, peculiar,
bizarre. He would march up and down in
front of the Superinteadent's office in the
rain, rather than enter before the appointed
time. He would endeavor to administer his
department on principles applicable to a
garrison of regulars, and make issues in
which it was impossible that he should be
sustained. A dyspeptic, at times a hypo-
chondriac, he was a typical proof and
example OF the kinship between genius and
mental disorder
His idiosyncrasies made him the marked
figure-t at he afterwards became-this is
almost a truism; yet those same idiosyncra-
sizes slightly exaggerated might have
brought i'm before commission OF lunacy.
General Five was not alone in his OPT ion
when he categorcally pronounced him mad.
While thus disqualified from ever becom-
ing more than an Indifferent teacher, Maj
jackson held bis own place in the respect of
the cadets A sub-episode of the time of ex-
element of which we are writing will es
tablish this. One night when the reports Of
threatened attempt had been more than
usually exact, the young soldiers became
correspondingly excited. Maj. Gillian,
the commandment of cadets, and a gallant
West Pointer, was in the barracks
but they had resolved that they would De
more comfortable if Mai Jackson were on
duty. They had no respect for his scholar
hip, but he was tue hero of Contreras and
Chepultepec, and it is a para glftel
writer has said that 1t is the greatest part
of the git the hero leaves his race that he
has been hero. Sent for, he came down
in full uniform and sword, and taking his
seat in the guard room remained there till
morning. A poet would need no richer
field for his fancy than this scene-the
waking veteran, throbbing with unrecog-
nized and pent-up powers, keepin guard
over his younger brothers, sleeping before
the storm.
The sentiment of Rockbridge county, as
of the greater part of the valley of Virginia
at this time, was intensely and tenaciously
in favor Of the pres arvation of the Union.
At the recent election the Union delegates
had been elected by 1000 majority in the
county. On the other hand, the youth as
sembled in both of the schools situated in
Lexington-Washingto College and the
Military Institute-were secessionists in
theory almost to man. This was a condi-
ton of things easily to be understood.
Youth has gathered no experience to serve
as a foundation for caution. With such
division of sentiment in the community all
the conditions were present for an outbreak
| between the Union residents of the neigh
borhood and the hot-headed nil timendum
boys in the schools. The occasion soon pre-
sented itself.
THE TWO PARTISAN POLES.
The two DOitical partieS in Lexington an.